Trench form mounting device and method of use

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a trench former assembly and a method of constructing a trench using the trench former assembly. Typically, the trench former assembly comprises a forming member and a corresponding retention and removal system. The forming member is structured to facilitate forming the trench, while the retention and removal system is structured to suspend the forming member and support the forming member against displacement and rotation during forming of the trench. Embodiments of the invention are also directed to a dual-pour type trench former assembly for forming a multi-layer trench.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIORITY APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/723,099 entitled “Trench Form Mounting Device and Method of Use” filed on Aug. 27, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to, in general, to systems, devices and methods for formation, construction and operation of trenches, troughs, channels, basins, boxes or depressions in concrete and other structures.

BACKGROUND

Conventional drainage channels typically comprise a pre-fabricated molded concrete member with the channel being defined by the contours of the concrete member. Such drainage channels are difficult to shape to varying drainage paths, do not scale efficiently and are difficult to ship. Accordingly, there is a long-held but unmet need for drainage channels that are adaptable, scalable and easy to transport.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the invention are directed to a trench former assembly (trench drain forming system) and a method of constructing a trench using the trench former assembly. Typically, the trench former assembly comprises a forming member and a corresponding retention and removal system. The forming member is structured to facilitate forming the trench, while the retention and removal system is structured to suspend the forming member and support the forming member against displacement and rotation during forming of the trench. Embodiments of the invention are also directed to a dual-pour type trench former assembly for forming a multi-layer trench.

In some embodiments, the trench drain forming system comprises a forming member structured for forming a body of a trench; and a retention and removal apparatus structured to be removably coupled to the forming member. The retention and removal apparatus is structured for supporting the forming member.

In some embodiments, or in combination with any of the previous embodiments, the forming member is structured to be positioned within a trough to form a void chamber therebetween, such that a construction material is provided in the void chamber.

In some embodiments, or in combination with any of the previous embodiments, the retention and removal apparatus is structured to suspend the forming member within a cavity of the trough.

In some embodiments, or in combination with any of the previous embodiments, the retention and removal apparatus is structured to prevent displacement and/or rotation of the suspended forming member within the cavity of the trough due to the construction material.

In some embodiments, or in combination with any of the previous embodiments, the forming member comprises a body member, wherein the body member is structured such that an outer surface of the body member is configured to form a first layer of the trench.

In some embodiments, or in combination with any of the previous embodiments, the forming member comprises a layer construction component, wherein the layer construction component is structured such that an outer surface of the layer construction component is configured to form a second layer of the trench, wherein the second layer of the trench is positioned over the first layer of the trench.

In some embodiments, or in combination with any of the previous embodiments, the layer construction component is structured to be coupled with the body member such that layer construction component is received within a cavity of the body member.

In some embodiments, or in combination with any of the previous embodiments, the retention and removal apparatus comprises a first support member having an elongate body, wherein the first support member is removably coupled to the forming member such that the elongate body is transverse to a length of the forming member and parallel to a width of the forming member.

In some embodiments, or in combination with any of the previous embodiments, a length of the elongate body of the first support member is greater than the width of the forming member such that end portions of the elongate body overhang from the forming member.

In some embodiments, or in combination with any of the previous embodiments, the end portions of the elongate body of the first support member that overhang from the forming member are structured to (i) rest on upper surfaces of a trough and (ii) suspend the forming member within a cavity of the trough.

In some embodiments, or in combination with any of the previous embodiments, the retention and removal apparatus comprises an anchoring support component structured to anchor and support the forming member within construction material provided in a trough, for forming the trench.

In some embodiments, or in combination with any of the previous embodiments, the forming member and the retention and removal apparatus is reusable.

In some embodiments, or in combination with any of the previous embodiments, the trench drain forming system further comprises construction material for forming the trench.

In accordance with some embodiments of the invention, the trench drain forming system comprises a forming member and a retention and removal apparatus.

In accordance with some embodiments of the invention, a method for forming a trench comprises: providing a forming member and a retention and removal apparatus; removably assembling the forming member and the retention and removal apparatus; forming a trough in a ground site, wherein the trough comprises a cavity; positioning the assembly of the forming member and the retention and removal apparatus in the trough such that the forming member is suspended within the cavity, wherein the suspended forming member is structured to form a void chamber between the forming member and the cavity of the trough; providing construction material into the void chamber; curing the construction material in the void chamber to form the trench; and removing the forming member from the trough via the retention and removal apparatus.

In some embodiments, or in combination with any of the previous embodiments, the retention and removal apparatus comprises a first support member, wherein end portions of the first support member overhang from the forming member such that the end portions (i) rest on upper surfaces of a trough and (ii) suspend the forming member within the cavity of the trough.

In some embodiments, or in combination with any of the previous embodiments, the forming member comprises a layer construction component, and curing the construction material in the void chamber is structured to form a first layer of the trench. The method of forming the trench comprises forming a multi-layer trench comprising the steps of: disassembling the forming member and the retention and removal apparatus; disassembling the layer construction component from the forming member; removably assembling the layer construction component and the retention and removal apparatus; positioning the assembly of the layer construction component and the retention and removal apparatus in a cavity of the first layer of the trench such that the layer construction component is suspended within the cavity of the first layer of the trench; providing construction material between the first layer of the trench and the layer construction component; curing the construction material between the first layer of the trench and the layer construction component to form a second layer of the trench; and removing the layer construction component from the trough via the retention and removal apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description of embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings which illustrate specific embodiments of the disclosure. Other embodiments having different structures and operations do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of trench former assembly, in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of trench former assembly, in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of trench former assembly, in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of trench former assembly, in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 depicts a perspective view of trench former assembly, in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 depicts a cut-away perspective view of a method of use of a trench former assembly of the present invention for fabrication of a trench.

FIG. 7 depicts a cut-away perspective view of a trench fabricated using a trench former assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 8 depicts a cut-away perspective view of a multi-layer trench fabricated using a dual-pour trench former assembly of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

Additionally, certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the embodiments described. For example, the words “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “upward,” and “downward” merely describe the configuration shown in the figures. Indeed, the referenced components may be oriented in any direction, and unless specified otherwise, the configurative terminology used herein should be understood as encompassing such variations

Drains and other trenches of various sizes and shapes are desirable for a number of applications. For example, manufacturing facilities typically require drainage systems that include trenches formed in the building floors to collect, remove, and/or recycle excess water or other liquids/fluids. These trenches may also be used as utility chases to provide temporary or permanent routing of electrical lines, pipes, conduits or the like below the level of the building floor. In addition, numerous outdoor industrial and commercial sites, such as parking lots and airports, also require drainage systems to collect and direct rainwater and other liquids to underground storm sewers to prevent flooding and to decrease run-off. Likewise, buildings with flat or built-up roofs typically require drainage systems, including scuppers, formed in the sidewalls, roofs and/or floors of the buildings to collect, direct, and prevent pooling of rainwater on the roofs of the buildings. Additionally, roadways, bridges, and the like may also require drainage systems, including trenches, scuppers and the like.

In the past, drains have generally been formed by first cutting a ditch into a surface, such as the ground and then placing and securing a precast or pre-fabricated, open-faced channel in the ditch. The precast channel is typically made from a cementitious material, metal, concrete, and or the like. A moldable composition, such as cementitious material, is then poured around the open-faced channel and allowed to set. In particular, the open-faced channel may be supported on a plurality of downwardly extending legs which are positioned on the surface at the bottom of the ditch. If the open-faced channel has more than one channel section, pouring a subslab may be necessary to prevent the buoyancy of the channel sections in the wet concrete from causing the sections to float out of position and become misaligned. To form a subslab, a first pour of concrete is made to a level below the open-faced channel and allowed to harden. A second pour of concrete is then applied over the subslab up to the upper edges of the open-faced channel to fully embed the trench.

Once the concrete has set, it is normally desirable to finish the trench with a trench cover, such as an elongate grate covering its open top, in order to prevent people from unwittingly stepping in the open trench, to provide a smooth surface, and/or to prevent relatively large objects from entering the trench and potentially blocking the flow of liquid therethrough. The trench cover is typically removable and supported by a support surface defined longitudinally along an inner portion of each opposed wall of the open-faced channel.

However, as discussed the precast or pre-fabricated channel is extremely heavy and bulky in construction, and is cumbersome to transport to the drain location and ungainly to maneuver and place into the ditch. Moreover, numerous such precast channels may be required to be transported to and positioned at the drain location, for the construction of the elongate drain. Furthermore, such precast channels are difficult to shape to varying drainage paths, do not scale efficiently and are difficult to ship.

The present invention provides a novel trench forming system that comprises a light weight trench form and a trench form mounting device. The trench forming system of the present invention is easily customizable to varying drainage paths, is scalable and is easy to transport and maneuver, as will be described in detail below.

A trench is a drainage system that typically includes an elongate depression, trough or excavation in the ground (and/or other horizontal, vertical or otherwise inclined surfaces). For example, a trench may be a conduit or a channel in the ground. A “trench” or “trough” as used herein typically refers to a drain structure comprising a depression (such as a an elongate open-faced cavity, excavation, channel, conduit, or the like) in a surface (such as the ground, other horizontal, vertical or otherwise inclined surfaces, and the like), which extends into the surface (for example, perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly) for a predetermined depth Dt. Moreover, the depression extending into the surface may comprise a depression cross section, for example, a depression cross section having a width Wt and a substantially perpendicular depth Dt, a polygonal cross section, curvilinear cross section, and/or the like. The trench typically extends along the surface for a length Lt, for example, in a linear or curvilinear path parallel to the surface. Moreover, the depression cross section and/or its dimensions (such as the depth Dt and width Wt) may be either constant or may vary along the length Lt of the trench. In some embodiments, the trenches are elongate such that, the length Lt of the trench is greater than dimensions of the depression cross section of the trench, for example, the depth Dt and/or the width Wt.

In general, referring to the drawings, where like reference numerals refer to the same or similar parts, FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of a trench forming system 100 of the present invention. As illustrated by FIG. 1, the trench forming system 100 comprises a forming member and a retention and removal system. The forming members 110, 210, 310, 410, and 510 illustrated by FIGS. 1-5 can be formed of expanded polystyrene (EPS). The retention and removal system, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, involves the use of embedded metal or wood studs and/or laminating wood sheeting (OSB, plywood, hardboard, etc.) to the EPS. This system may be used to create trenches, troughs, channels, basins, boxes and other types of depressions in concrete slabs. The embedded metal or wood studs and/or laminating wood sheeting are good to allow for points of attachment for either a hanging installation or no-float u-leg assembly (as shown in FIG. 1). These features will be described in detail below.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a trench former assembly 100 (also referred to as a trench form mounting device 100 or trench forming system 100), in accordance a first embodiment of the invention. As illustrated, the trench former assembly 100 typically comprises a forming member 110 and a corresponding retention and removal system 130. The forming member 110 and a corresponding retention and removal system 130, together are structured to be utilized to form a trench at any suitable location. The trench former assembly 100 is light-weight, easy to transport, capable of being assembled on site with ease, and fabricates a trench with accurate dimensions and with minimal tolerances/allowances. Although described with respect to fabricating a “trench”, it is understood that the “trench” as used herein may also refer to troughs, channels, basins, boxes and other types of depressions, e.g., in concrete slabs.

The forming member 110 comprises a body member 110 a extending between a first end 112 a and an opposite second end 112 b. The first end 112 a and the second end 112 b are spaced apart along an axis X-X, defining a length L1 therebetween. In some embodiments, the faces of the body member 110 a at the first end 112 a and the second end 112 b are spaced apart along and substantially perpendicular (+/±0.1° to 5°, 1° to 5°, 5° to 10°, 5° to 15° and/or the like) to the axis X-X. Moreover, the body member 110 a comprises a proximal side 114 a and an opposite distal side 114 c, extending between the first end 112 a and the second end 112 b. The body member 110 a comprises a first lateral side 114 b and an opposite second lateral side 114 d, extending between the first end 112 a and the second end 112 b, as illustrated by FIG. 1. The proximal side 114 a, the first lateral side 114 b, the distal side 114 c and the second lateral side 114 d together form a lateral contour of the body member 110 a having a cross-section 112 c. The cross-section 112 c may be constant along the length L1, or it may vary along the length L1. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the cross-section 112 c of the body member 110 a comprises a “U” shape. In some instances, this “U” shape comprises a combination of portions of a linear contour, a polygonal contour, a curvilinear contour, a curved contour, a round/circular contour, a parabolic contour, and/or another conic-section contour. The body member 110 a and the cross-section 112 c is typically structured, shaped and dimensioned to correspond with the desired contour and dimension of the final fabricated trench.

In some embodiments, body member 110 a is made from expanded polystyrene (EPS), which is extremely light in weight and hence is extremely easy to transport to a trench site, maneuver, and position within a trough/ditch. In some embodiments, body member 110 a is made from a foam material, a polymer material, a resin, a plastic, a thermoplastic material, a metal/sheet-metal shell, an organic material, a composite material, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the body member 110 a is a solid material, while in other embodiments, the body member 110 a is at least partially hollow. In some embodiments, the body member 110 a comprises a metal foil outer layer to protect the inner body from heat, abrasion, etc.

In some embodiments, the forming member 110 further comprises a support member 120 that is structured for coupling or assembling the forming member 110 with the retention and removal system 130. Here, in some embodiments, the support member 120 is configured to provide structural reinforcement to the body member 110 a to allow the body member to withstand increased transverse loads, axial loads, torsional loads, compressive loads, strains and stresses, so that the structural integrity of the body member 110 a is maintained when the body member 110 a is coupled to the retention and removal system 130, during transport to the site, and/or during and after forming of the trench. The support member 120 may be provided at a surface or end of the body member 110 a. FIG. 1 illustrates the support member 120 being provided at the proximal side 114 a of the body member 110 a. The support member 120 may be positioned/embedded at least partially or completely within the body member 110 a, as illustrated by FIG. 1, or the support member 120 may be positioned adjacent to a side of the body member 110 a (e.g., in the form of an external rib). The support member 120 may comprise a first end 122 a and an opposite second end 122 b, which may coincide with the respective first end 112 a and the second end 112 b of the body member 110 a, thereby rendering a length “L1” to the support member 120 as well, as illustrated by FIG. 1. However, the first end 122 a and/or the second end 122 b of the support member 120 may protrude/extend beyond or terminate/end before the respective first end 112 a and the second end 112 b of the body member 110 a. Moreover, the support member 120 may comprise a proximal side 124 a, which may be flush with the proximal side 114 a of the body member 110 a, as illustrated by FIG. 1, or which may protrude beyond or terminate before (thereby forming a depression in) the proximal side 114 a of the body member 110 a. The support member 120 may comprise a suitable cross-section 122 c such as a polygonal cross-section (e.g., a rectangular cross section of FIG. 1), a circular cross-section, a curvilinear cross-section, a combination of the foregoing, and/or the like.

Moreover, the body member 110 a may define a length “L1” along axis X-X, and a depth “D1” and width “W1” perpendicular to the axis X-X, as shown in FIG. 1. Moreover, the depth D1 may vary across the length L1 and/or the width W1 as a function D1 (L1, W1) of the length and the width, such that the depth D1 is the greatest at a central location/width which gradually reduces to towards the lateral sides (114 b, 114 d) forming the “U” shaped cross-section 112 c. Similarly, the width W1 may vary across the length L1 and/or the depth D1 as a function W1 (L1, D1) of the length and the depth, such that the width W1 is greatest at the proximal side 114 a which gradually reduces to towards the distal sides 114 c forming the “U” shaped cross-section 112 c. Moreover, in typical embodiments, the dimension of length L1 is greater than that of the depth D1 and the width W1 (by an order of magnitude factor of 1, 2, 3, . . . 10, . . . , 1.1 to 5, 1.1 to 3.9, 1 to 6, 1 to 10, 3 to 10, 5 to 12, 10-20, . . . , or the like). Typically, the body member 110 a is structured to form a trench with a similar “U” shaped cross-section having a depth function “Dt,” and width function “Wt”, such that the depth Dt is substantially equal to or about the same as the depth D1, and the width Wt is substantially equal to or about the same as the width D1 (accounting for inevitable tolerances, allowances and other practical considerations). The length Lt of the trench may be about the same as or greater than the length L1 of the body member 110 a. In the instances where the length Lt of the trench is desired to be greater than the length L1 of the body member 110 a, multiple forming members 110/body members 110 a may be utilized end-to-end to form the trench. Typically, a volume of the body member 110 a (i.e., [area of cross section 112 c]×[L1]) corresponds to (is the same as) the volume V of the desired trench or trench section (e.g., illustrated in FIG. 7).

In some embodiments, support member 120 may be manufactured from a material that comprises enhanced yield strength, ultimate strength, toughness, hardness, and/or other properties, in comparison with the material of the body member 110 a. Here, the support member 120 may be made from drywall studs, a metal, an alloy, a composite, a plastic, wood, and/or other suitable materials that impart the desired material properties to the support member 120. In other embodiments, support member 120 may be manufactured from the same material is that of the body member 110 a, such as expanded polystyrene (EPS). It is noted that the support member 120 of the present invention provides yet another advantage. The present invention only requires a small support member 120 to provide the structural stability to the body member 110 a, without requiring the entire body member 110 a to be manufactured from heavy, unwieldy and cumbersome materials, thereby reducing the weight of the entire assembly and rendering the invention easy to transport, assemble and use.

In some embodiments, the forming member 110, i.e., the shape and structure of the body member 110 a, and the shape, structure and positioned of the body member 110 a, is structured such that, when suspended within a trough/ditch 2 (as illustrated by FIGS. 6-7) having a construction material 6 a typically in the form of fluid/slurry (concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2), the center of gravity of the forming member 110 is located below or coincident with a center of buoyancy of the suspended forming member 110, thereby imparting rotational stability to the suspended forming member 110 within the construction material fluid 6 a until the construction material fluid hardens into a solid.

Construction material 6 a or construction material fluid 6 a as used herein typically refers to a desired material that is utilized to form the trench (e.g., as illustrated by FIG. 7). Construction material 6 a or construction material fluid 6 a may comprise fluids (e.g., fluid cement), composites (e.g., concrete, asphalt concrete, other cementitious material, etc.), aggregates (e.g., gravel, stone fragments, foam, metals, plastics, etc.), polymers (e.g., polymer concretes), binders (e.g., lime, bitumen, polymers, etc.), additives, nanomaterials, and/or a suitable combination of the foregoing. In some embodiments, the construction material may comprise a viscous slurry (e.g., freshly mixed concrete). In some embodiments, the construction material may comprise a specific gravity in the range of 2-3.5, 2.2-3.15, 1-4, 2-5, 2.5-4.7, 2-7, 2.5-8, 3-9,. 3.5-9.5, 3.5-12, and/or the like. Typically, the term “fluid” as used herein is used to convey that, at the time of pouring or transferring into the trough/ditch 2, the construction material 6 a behaves like a fluid in that (i) it can be poured/decanted/transferred into the trough/ditch 2 and (ii) it has the ability to flow into and/or deform to take on the shape of a chamber Ct created between the trench former assembly 100 (particularly the forming member 110) and the trough/ditch 2 (as illustrated by FIGS. 6-7). After pouring into the trough/ditch 2, the construction material 6 a typically cures/hardens/sets in the shape of the chamber Ct created between the trench former assembly 100 (particularly the forming member 110) and the trough/ditch 2 to form the trench 6 (as illustrated by FIG. 7). In some embodiments, the resulting trench 6 is structured to withstand tensile loads of, i.e., comprises an average tensile strength of about 14 MPa (2,000 psi), 14 MPa (2,000 psi) to 20 MPa (2,900 psi), MPa (2,900 psi) to 32 MPa (4,600 psi), 32 MPa (4,600 psi) to 40 MPa (5,800 psi), 40 MPa (5,800 psi) to 80 MPa (11,600 psi), and/or the like. Moreover, because the trench 6 is structured to be fabricated on site in the trough/ditch 2, the trench former assembly 100 of present invention obviates the need for transporting prefabricated extremely heavy, unwieldy and cumbersome, concrete or metal trenches to the site for installation, while still fabricating a trench having high tensile strength. Moreover, because the trench 6 can be fabricated on site using the trench former assembly 100, which is infinitely flexible and customizable, the trench 6 can be easily tailored to the requirements on site without requiring time intensive and expensive transport of heavy prefabricated trenches, which may not even meet the desired requirements of the trench.

The retention and removal system 130, also referred to as a “trench forming support and anchoring assembly”, will now be described with respect to FIG. 1. The retention and removal system 130 comprises a first support member 140 and a second support member 150. The first support member 140, also referred to as a positioning and securing component 140 is structured for (i) suspending the forming member 110 within a trough/ditch 2 (illustrated at FIG. 6) and holding the position and preventing rotation throughout the trench forming process, (ii) securing/assembling the forming member 110 with the retention and removal system 130, (iii) weighting the forming member 110 within the trough/ditch 2 to counter buoyancy and subsequent displacement of the forming member 110 (especially within concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2), and (iv) facilitating removal of the forming member 110 from the trough/ditch 2 once the construction material typically in the form of fluid/slurry (e.g., concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2) has hardened or set.

The first support member 140 comprises a positioning support member 142 which is typically comprises an elongate structure, configured to extend traverse to and overhang over the lateral sides of the forming member 110. As such the positioning support member 142 extends along a length that is greater than the width W1 of the body member 110 a. The extensions/overhang portions/shoulders (142 a, 142 b) of the positioning support member 142 are structured to rest on a top surface 4 a of the ground 4 forming the trough/ditch 2 (as illustrated by FIG. 6), thereby suspending the forming member 110 within the trough/ditch 2. Moreover, the first support member 140 comprises a coupling component 142 c such that the first support member 140 comprises an “L” shaped cross-section, with the coupling component 142 c being structured to operatively couple the first support member 140 with the forming member 110 and the second support member 150. In this regard, the coupling component 142 c is structured to be positioned proximate to and adjacent to the proximal side 114 a of the body member 110 a and hence the proximal side 124 a of the support member 120, as illustrated by FIG. 1. The coupling component 142 c comprises a first coupling member 144 for coupling (e.g., removably coupling) the first support member 140 with the forming member 110, e.g., via screws, nuts, bolts, clips, other fasteners, and/or other coupling elements. Here, the first coupling member may take the form of threaded bores, through apertures, and/or the like. The coupling component 142 c further comprises second coupling members (146 a, 146 b) for coupling (e.g., removably coupling) the first support member 140 with the second support member 150, e.g., via coupling elements (156 a, 156 b), screws, nuts, bolts, clips, other fasteners, and/or other coupling elements. Here, the second coupling members may take the form of a threaded bores, through apertures, and/or the like.

The extensions/overhang portions/shoulders (142 a, 142 b) of the positioning support member 142 are supported with a load Fg when resting against the top surfaces 4 a of the ground 4, rendering a downwards weight W (e.g., equal to about 2×Fg) (as illustrated by FIG. 6). The stabilization factors of the arrangement are twofold. First, the downwards weight W is greater than or equal to the force of buoyancy Fb, and hence counteracts the force of buoyancy Fb of the construction material typically in the form of fluid/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2 (concrete or other cementitious material/slurry), thereby preventing the forming member 110 from being displaced by the construction material fluid due to the force of buoyancy. Second, the downwards weight W renders the center of gravity of the forming member 110 to be located below or coincident with a center of buoyancy of the suspended forming member 110, thereby preventing rotation of the suspended forming member 110 within the construction material fluid of the trough/ditch 2. Moreover, the positioning support member 142 prevents tilting and other linear or rotational displacement of the forming member 110 within the trough/ditch 2 (as illustrated by FIG. 6). The positioning support member 142 may be made from alloys, metals, or other suitable materials.

The second support member 150 comprises an anchoring support component 152 that is structured to anchor and secure the forming member 110 within the trough/ditch 2 at the desired position and orientation. The anchoring support component 152 may comprise a elongate curved/bent body with a “U” shape that partially encircles the “U” shaped contour of the forming member 110, e.g., forming a gap therebetween, as illustrated by FIG. 1. The gap between the anchoring support component 152 and the adjacent portion of the forming member 110 facilitates flow of the construction material typically in the form of fluid/slurry (e.g., concrete or other cementitious material/slurry) therebetween and allows for the anchoring support component 152 to be embedded and enmeshed therein as the construction material fluid hardens, thereby anchoring, stabilizing and supporting the forming member 110 forming member within the trough/ditch 2 having the construction material fluid (e.g., concrete or other cementitious material/slurry). The anchoring support component 152 further comprises coupling elements (156 a, 156 b) which complement the respective second coupling members (146 a, 146 b) of the first support member 140 for coupling (e.g., removably coupling) the first support member 140 with the second support member 150, via coupling elements (156 a, 156 b) and second coupling members (146 a, 146 b). Here, the coupling elements (156 a, 156 b) may each take the form of a bolt/screw and threaded bore/nut pair, as illustrated by FIG. 1. Moreover, the anchoring support component 152 is structured to provide an additional downwards force Fa component to the weight component W of the retention and removal system 130, due the weight of the construction material (e.g., concrete or other cementitious material/slurry) in the gap between the anchoring support component 152 and the adjacent portion of the forming member 110, which exerts a downward force “Fa” on the anchoring support component 152 (as illustrated by FIG. 6). Here, it is understood that the weight W may be equal to about (2×F+Fa). The second support member 150 may be made from alloys, metals, or other suitable materials.

Although one set of retention and removal system 130 having the first support member 140 and the second support member 150 are illustrated by FIG. 1, it is understood that multiple such retention and removal systems 130 may be provided along the length of the forming member 110.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a trench former assembly 200 (also referred to as a trench form mounting device 200), in accordance a second embodiment of the invention. As illustrated, the trench former assembly 200 typically comprises a forming member 210 and a corresponding retention and removal system 230. The structure and functions of the trench former assembly 200 are substantially similar to that of the trench former assembly 100 described previously, with like numbers referring to like elements, except certain features of the forming member 210 and the first support member 240, as described in detail below. The forming member 210 and a corresponding retention and removal system 230, together are structured to be utilized to form a trench at any suitable location. The trench former assembly 200 is light-weight, easy to transport, capable of being assembled on site with ease, and fabricates a trench with accurate dimensions and with minimal tolerances/allowances. Although described with respect to fabricating a “trench”, it is understood that the “trench” as used herein may also refer to troughs, channels, basins, boxes and other types of depressions, e.g., in concrete slabs.

Similar to the forming member 110, the forming member 210 comprises a body member 210 a extending between a first end 212 a and an opposite second end 212 b. The first end 212 a and the second end 212 b are spaced apart along an axis X-X, defining a length L2 therebetween. In some embodiments, the faces of the body member 210 a at the first end 212 a and the second end 212 b are spaced apart along and substantially perpendicular (+/−0.1° to 5°, 1° to 5°, 5° to 200, 5° to 15° and/or the like) to the axis X-X. Moreover, the body member 210 a comprises a proximal side 214 a and an opposite distal side 214 c, extending between the first end 212 a and the second end 212 b. The body member 210 a comprises a first lateral side 214 b and an opposite second lateral side 214 d, extending between the first end 212 a and the second end 212 b, as illustrated by FIG. 2. The proximal side 214 a, the first lateral side 214 b, the distal side 214 c and the second lateral side 214 d together form a lateral contour of the body member 210 a having a cross-section 212 c. The cross-section 212 c may be constant along the length L2 or it may vary along the length L2. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the cross-section 212 c of the body member 210 a comprises a rectangular shape. It is noted here that a square is a special rectangle, and hence a rectangle/rectangular shape as used herein may also include to a square shape. In some instances, the cross-section 212 c of the body member 210 a comprises a polygonal contour shape. The body member 210 a and the cross-section 212 c is typically structured, shaped and dimensioned to correspond with the desired contour and dimension of the final fabricated trench. In some embodiments, body member 210 a is made from expanded polystyrene (EPS), or any of the materials listed with respect to body member 110 a. In some embodiments, the body member 210 a is a solid material, while in other embodiments, the body member 210 a is at least partially hollow.

In some embodiments, the forming member 210 further comprises a support member 220 that is structured for coupling or assembling the forming member 210 with the retention and removal system 230, similar to support member 120 described previously. Here, in some embodiments, the support member 220 is configured to provide structural reinforcement to the body member 210 a to allow the body member to withstand increased transverse loads, axial loads, torsional loads, compressive loads, strains and stresses, so that the structural integrity of the body member 210 a is maintained when the body member 210 a is coupled to the retention and removal system 230, during transport to the site, and/or during and after forming of the trench. The support member 220 may be provided at a surface or end of the body member 210 a. FIG. 2 illustrates the support member 220 being provided at the proximal side 214 a of the body member 210 a. The support member 220 may be positioned/embedded at least partially or completely within the body member 210 a, as illustrated by FIG. 2, or the support member 220 may be positioned adjacent to a side of the body member 210 a (e.g., in the form of an external rib). The support member 220 may comprise a first end 222 a and an opposite second end 222 b, which may coincide, flush with the respective first end 212 a and the second end 212 b of the body member 210 a, thereby rendering a length “L2” to the support member 220 as well, as illustrated by FIG. 2. However, the first end 222 a and/or the second end 222 b of the support member 220 may protrude/extend beyond or terminate/end before the respective first end 212 a and the second end 212 b of the body member 210 a. Moreover, the support member 220 may comprise a proximal side 224 a, which may be flush with the proximal side 214 a of the body member 210 a, as illustrated by FIG. 2, or which may protrude beyond or terminate before (thereby forming a depression in) the proximal side 214 a of the body member 210 a. The support member 220 may comprise a suitable cross-section 222 c such as a polygonal cross-section (e.g., a rectangular cross section of FIG. 2), a circular cross-section, a curvilinear cross-section, a combination of the foregoing, and/or the like.

Moreover, the body member 210 a may define a length “L2” along axis X-X, and a depth “D2” and width “W2” perpendicular to the axis X-X, as shown in FIG. 2. Moreover, the depth D2 may be constant along the length L2 and the width W2, while the width W2 may also be constant along the length L2 and the depth D2, thereby forming a cuboidal shaped body member 210 a with a rectangular cross-section 212 c. Moreover, in typical embodiments, the dimension of length L2 is greater than that of the depth D2 and the width W2 (e.g., by an order of magnitude factor of 1, 2, 3, . . . 10, . . . , 1.1 to 5, 1.1 to 3.9, 1 to 6, 1 to 10, 3 to 10, 5 to 12, 10-20, . . . , or the like). Typically, the body member 210 a is structured to form a trench with a rectangular cross-section having a constant depth function “Dt,” and constant width function “Wt”, such that the depth Dt is substantially equal to or about the same as the depth D2, and the width Wt is substantially equal to or about the same as the width D2 (accounting for inevitable tolerances, allowances and other practical considerations). The length Lt of the trench may be about the same as or greater than the length L2 of the body member 210 a. In the instances where the length Lt of the trench is desired to be greater than the length L2 of the body member 210 a, multiple forming members 210/body members 210 a may be utilized end-to-end to form the trench. Typically, a volume of the body member 210 a (i.e., [D2]×[L2]×[W2]) typically corresponds to or is the same as the volume V of the desired trench or trench section (e.g., illustrated in FIG. 7). In some embodiments, support member 220 may be manufactured from a material that comprises enhanced yield strength, ultimate strength, toughness, hardness, and/or other properties, in comparison with the material of the body member 210 a, similar to the support member 120.

In some embodiments, the forming member 210, i.e., the shape and structure of the body member 210 a, and the shape, structure and positioned of the body member 210 a, is structured such that, when suspended within a trough/ditch 2 (as illustrated by FIG. 6) having a construction material typically in the form of fluid/slurry (concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2), the center of gravity of the forming member 210 is located below or coincident with a center of buoyancy of the suspended forming member 210, thereby imparting rotational stability to the suspended forming member 210 within the construction material fluid until the construction material fluid hardens into a solid.

The retention and removal system 230, also referred to as a trench forming support and anchoring assembly 230, will now be described. The retention and removal system 230 comprises a first support member 240 and a second support member 250. The first support member 240, also referred to as a positioning and securing component 240 is structured for (i) suspending the forming member 210 within a trough/ditch 2 (illustrated at FIG. 6) and holding the position and preventing rotation throughout the trench forming process, (ii) securing/assembling the forming member 210 with the retention and removal system 230, and (iii) weighting the forming member 210 within the trough/ditch 2 to counter buoyancy and subsequent displacement of the forming member 210 (especially within concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2), and (iv) facilitating removal of the forming member 210 from the trough/ditch 2 once the construction material typically in the form of fluid/slurry (e.g., concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2) has hardened or set, similar to the first support member 140 described previously.

The first support member 240 comprises a positioning support member 242 which is typically comprises an elongate structure, configured to extend traverse to and overhang over the lateral sides of the forming member 210, similar to the positioning support member 142. As such, the positioning support member 242 extends along a length that is greater than the width W2 of the body member 210 a. The extensions/overhang portions/shoulders (242 a, 242 b) of the positioning support member 242 are structured to rest on a top surface 4 a of the ground 4 forming the trough/ditch 2 (as illustrated by FIG. 6 with respect to corresponding elements 142 a and 142 b), thereby suspending the forming member 210 within the trough/ditch 2. Moreover, the first support member 240 comprises a coupling component 242 c such that the first support member 240 comprises an “L” shaped cross-section, with the coupling component 242 c being structured to operatively couple the first support member 240 with the forming member 210 and the second support member 250. In this regard, the coupling component 242 c is structured to be positioned proximate to and adjacent to the proximal side 214 a of the body member 210 a and hence the proximal side 224 a of the support member 220, as illustrated by FIG. 2. The coupling component 242 c comprises a first coupling member 244 for coupling (e.g., removably coupling) the first support member 240 with the forming member 210, e.g., via screws, nuts, bolts, clips, other fasteners, and/or other coupling elements. Here, the first coupling member may take the form of threaded bores, through apertures, and/or the like. The coupling component 242 c further comprises second coupling members (246 a, 246 b) for coupling (e.g., removably coupling) the first support member 240 with an anchoring support component (similar to the anchoring support component 152 described previously) of the second support member 250, e.g., via coupling elements (similar to coupling elements (156 a, 156 b) described previously), screws, nuts, bolts, clips, other fasteners, and/or other coupling elements. Here, the second coupling members may take the form of a threaded bores, through apertures, and/or the like. The coupling component 242 c further comprises third coupling members (245 a, 245 b) for coupling (e.g., removably coupling) the first support member 240 with lateral support components (262 a, 262 b) or seats (262 a, 262 b) of the second support member 250, e.g., via screws, nuts, bolts, clips, other fasteners, and/or other coupling elements. Here, the third coupling members may take the form of a threaded bores, through apertures, and/or the like.

The first support member 240 further comprises a transverse support member 248 which is coupled to the positioning support member 242, which also comprises an elongate structure, configured to extend traverse to and overhang over the lateral sides of the forming member 210, similar to the positioning support member 242 but with a greater weight and with a greater overhang, to provide further enhanced support and stability, as illustrated by FIG. 2. As such, the transverse support member 248 extends along a length that is greater than the width W2 of the body member 210 a and greater that a width of the positioning support member 242. The extensions/overhang portions/shoulders (248 a, 248 b) of the transverse support member 248 are also structured to rest on a top surface 4 a of the ground 4 forming the trough/ditch 2, thereby suspending the forming member 210 within the trough/ditch 2. The extensions/overhang portions/shoulders (242 a-242 b and 248 a-248 b) of the positioning support member 242 are supported with a load Fg when resting against the top surfaces 4 a of the ground 4, rendering a downwards weight W, similar to the that described with respect to the previous embodiment. The transverse support member 248 and the positioning support member 242 may be made from metals, alloys, wood or other suitable materials.

The second support member 250 may comprise an anchoring support component (not illustrated) similar to the anchoring support component 152 described previously, that is configured to be coupled with second coupling members (246 a, 246 b) of the first support member 240 and provide a downward force “Fa” on the anchoring support component as described previously.

The second support member 250 may further comprise lateral support components (262 a, 262 b) provided adjacent to and coupled with (i) lateral sides (214 b, 214 d) respectively, and (ii) the positioning support member 242 via the third coupling members (245 a, 245 b). The lateral support components (262 a, 262 b) may further comprise an elongate body (264 a, 264 b) having an “L” shaped cross-section, as illustrated, with one side of the L coupled (e.g., removably coupled) to the respective lateral side (214 b, 214 d) and the other side coupled (e.g., removably coupled) to the positioning support member 242. The lateral support components (262 a, 262 b) further comprise anchoring elements 266 a, which are structured to anchor and affix the lateral support components (262 a, 262 b) to the adjacent ground and/or to the adjacent hardened concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2. In this regard, the trough/ditch 2 may be dimensioned such that the sides of the trough/ditch 2 are adjacent to the inner right-angle portion of the L-shaped lateral support components (262 a, 262 b). Here, once the trench is formed, the lateral support components (262 a, 262 b) may remain to form reinforced edges of the trench.

Although one set of retention and removal system 230 having the first support member 240 and the second support member 250 are illustrated by FIG. 2, it is understood that multiple such retention and removal systems 230 may be provided along the length of the forming member 210.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a trench former assembly 300 (also referred to as a trench form mounting device 300), in accordance a third embodiment of the invention. As illustrated, the trench former assembly 300 typically comprises a forming member 310 and a corresponding retention and removal system 330. The structure and functions of the trench former assembly 300 are substantially similar to that of the trench former assemblies 100-200 described previously, with like numbers referring to like elements, except certain features of the forming member 310, as described in detail below.

In particular, the forming member 310 is substantially similar to the forming member 210 described previously. As such, the forming member 310 comprises a body member 310 a extending between a first end 312 a and an opposite second end 312 b, defining a length L3 therebetween along an axis X-X. In some embodiments, the faces of the body member 310 a at the first end 312 a and the second end 312 b are spaced apart along and substantially perpendicular (+/−0.1° to 5°, 1° to 5°, 5° to 300, 5° to 15° and/or the like) to the axis X-X. Moreover, the body member 310 a comprises a proximal side 314 a and an opposite distal side 314 c defining a depth D3 therebetween. The body member 310 a comprises a first lateral side 314 b and an opposite second lateral side 314 d, defining a width W3 therebetween, as illustrated by FIG. 3. The proximal side 314 a, the first lateral side 314 b, the distal side 314 c and the second lateral side 314 d together form a lateral contour of the body member 310 a having a cross-section 312 c. The cross-section 312 c may be constant along the length L3, or it may vary along the length L3. In some embodiments, the cross-section 312 c of the body member 310 a comprises a rectangular shape, similar to that described with respect to forming member 210. Moreover, the depth D3 may be constant along the length L3 and the width W3, while the width W3 may also be constant along the length L3 and the depth D3, thereby forming a cuboidal shaped body member 310 a with a rectangular cross-section 312 c. That said, in some embodiments, the cross-section 312 c of the body member 310 a comprises a trapezoid/trapezium shape with the width W3 being the smallest proximate the distal side 314 c with the width W3 increasing gradually towards a maximum at the proximal side 314 a, forming a body member 310 a having a trapezoidal prism shape. In some embodiments, the cross-section 312 c of the body member 310 a comprises a parallelogram shape with the adjacent sides being at non-perpendicular angles and opposite sides being parallel, forming a body member 310 a having a parallelogram prism shape. Moreover, as illustrated by FIG. 3, the dimension of length L3 may comprise the same order of magnitude as that of the depth D2 and the width W2.

In one instance, the width W3 and the depth D3 may be equal, thereby rendering a square cross-section 312 c. Here, in some instances, the length L3 may be the same as the width W3, which in turn may be the same as the depth D3, thereby rendering a cubic shape to the body member 310 a.

Typically, the body member 310 a is structured to form a trench with a rectangular cross-section having a constant depth function “Dt,” and constant width function “Wt”, such that the depth Dt is substantially equal to or about the same as the depth D3, and the width Wt is substantially equal to or about the same as the width D3 (accounting for inevitable tolerances, allowances and other practical considerations). The length L3 of the trench may be about the same as or greater than the length L3 of the body member 310 a. In the instances where the length Lt of the trench is desired to be greater than the length L3 of the body member 310 a, multiple forming members 310/body members 310 a may be utilized end-to-end to form the trench. Typically, a volume of the body member 310 a (i.e., [D3]×[L3]×[W3]) typically corresponds to or is the same as the volume V of the desired trench or trench section (e.g., illustrated in FIG. 7). In some embodiments, the body member 310 a is made from expanded polystyrene (EPS), or any of the materials listed with respect to body member 110 a. In some embodiments, the body member 310 a is a solid material, while in other embodiments, the body member 310 a is at least partially hollow.

In some embodiments, the forming member 310 further comprises a plurality of support members 320 that is structured for coupling or assembling the forming member 310 with the retention and removal system 330, similar to support members 120-220 described previously. As such, in some embodiments, the plurality of support members 320 are configured to provide added/enhanced structural reinforcement to the body member 310 a to allow the body member to additional withstand increased transverse loads, axial loads, torsional loads, compressive loads, strains and stresses, so that the structural integrity of the body member 310 a is maintained when the body member 310 a is coupled to the retention and removal system 330, during transport to the site, and/or during and after forming of the trench. The support members 320 may be provided at a surface or end of the body member 310 a. FIG. 3 illustrates the support members 320 being provided at the proximal side 314 a of the body member 310 a, with a pair of support members 320 being separated by a distance “S”. The support members 320 may be positioned/embedded at least partially or completely within the body member 310 a, as illustrated by FIG. 3, or the support members 320 may be positioned adjacent to a side of the body member 310 a (e.g., in the form of an external rib). The support members 320 may comprise a first end and an opposite second end, which may coincide with the respective first end 312 a and the second end 312 b of the body member 310 a, thereby rendering a length “L3” to the support member 320 as well, as illustrated by FIG. 3. However, the support members 320 may protrude/extend beyond or terminate/end before the respective first end 312 a and the second end 312 b of the body member 310 a. Moreover, the support member 320 may comprise a proximal side, which may be flush with the proximal side 314 a of the body member 310 a, as illustrated by FIG. 3, or which may protrude beyond or terminate before (thereby forming a depression in) the proximal side 314 a of the body member 310 a. The support member 320 may comprise a suitable cross-section such as a polygonal cross-section (e.g., a rectangular cross section of FIG. 3), a circular cross-section, a curvilinear cross-section, a combination of the foregoing, and/or the like. In some embodiments, support member 320 may be manufactured from a material that comprises enhanced yield strength, ultimate strength, toughness, hardness, and/or other properties, in comparison with the material of the body member 310 a, similar to the support members 120 and 220.

In some embodiments, the forming member 310, i.e., the shape and structure of the body member 310 a, and the shape, structure and positioned of the body member 310 a, is structured such that, when suspended within a trough/ditch 2 (as illustrated by FIG. 6) having a fluid (concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2), the center of gravity of the forming member 310 is located below or coincident with a center of buoyancy of the suspended forming member 310, thereby imparting rotational stability to the suspended forming member 310 within the fluid until the fluid hardens into a solid, as described previously with respect to forming members 110 and 210.

The retention and removal system 330, also referred to as a “trench forming support and anchoring assembly”, is substantially similar to the retention and removal systems 130 and 230 described previously. The retention and removal system 330 may comprise a plurality of first support members 340 and one or more second support members (not illustrated) (similar to second support member 150). Each of the first support members 340 is substantially similar to the first support members 140-240 described previously, also referred to as a positioning and securing component 340 is structured for (i) suspending the forming member 310 within a trough/ditch 2 (similar to the manner illustrated at FIG. 6) and holding the position and preventing rotation throughout the trench forming process, (ii) securing/assembling the forming member 310 with the retention and removal system 330, and (iii) weighting the forming member 310 within the trough/ditch 2 to counter buoyancy and subsequent displacement of the forming member 310 (especially within concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2), and (iv) facilitating removal of the forming member 310 from the trough/ditch 2 once the construction material typically in the form of fluid/slurry (e.g., concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2) has hardened or set.

As illustrated by FIG. 3, the first support member 340 comprises a plurality of transverse support members (348, 349) (similar to transverse support member 248 described previously), which also comprises an elongate structure, configured to extend traverse to and overhang over the lateral sides of the forming member 310, to provide further enhanced support and stability. As such, the elongate transverse support members (348, 349) extend along a length that is greater than the width W3 of the body member 310 a. The extensions/overhang portions/shoulders ((348 a, 348 b), (349 a, 349 b)) of the respective transverse support members (348, 349) are also structured to rest on a top surface 4 a of the ground 4 forming the trough/ditch 2, thereby suspending the forming member 210 within the trough/ditch 2 (illustrated in FIGS. 6-7). The extensions/ overhang/portions/shoulders ((348 a, 348 b), (349 a, 349 b)) of the respective transverse support members (348, 349) are supported with a load Fg when resting against the top surfaces 4 a of the ground 4, rendering a downwards weight W, similar to the that described with respect to the previous embodiment. The respective transverse support members (348, 349) may be made from metals, alloys, wood or other suitable materials. Moreover, similar to positioning support members 142 and 242 described previously, each of the transverse support members (348, 349) may be coupled with a corresponding positioning support member (not illustrated), with the overhang of the positioning support member being lesser than or equal to that of the transverse support members (348, 349).

Again, the downwards weight W of the first support member 340 is structured to be greater than or equal to the force of buoyancy Fb, and hence counteracts the force of buoyancy Fb of the fluid poured into the trough/ditch 2 (concrete or other cementitious material/slurry), thereby preventing the forming member 310 from being displaced by the fluid due to the force of buoyancy. The downwards weight W renders the center of gravity of the forming member 310 to be located below or coincident with a center of buoyancy of the suspended forming member 310, thereby preventing rotation of the suspended forming member 310 within the fluid of the trough/ditch 2. Moreover, the plurality of transverse support members (348, 349) prevent tilting and other linear or rotational displacement of the forming member 310 within the trough/ditch 2 (as illustrated by FIG. 6).

Moreover, the transverse support members (348, 349) may comprise coupling components for operatively coupling the transverse support members (348, 349) with the forming member 310 and a second support member, similar to coupling components 144-244, 146 a-246 a, and 146 b-246 b described previously. The retention and removal system 330 may comprise one or more second support members (not illustrated) similar to second support members 150-250 described previously, e.g., having one or more anchoring support components 152 and/or one or more lateral support components (262 a, 262 b) described previously.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a trench former assembly 400 (also referred to as a trench form mounting device 400), in accordance a fourth embodiment of the invention. As illustrated, the trench former assembly 400 typically comprises a forming member 410 and a corresponding retention and removal system 430. The structure and functions of the trench former assembly 400 are substantially similar to that of the trench former assemblies 100-300, and the trench former assembly 300 in particular, with like numbers referring to like elements, except certain features of the forming member 410, as described in detail below. In particular, the trench former assembly 400 is a dual-pour type trench former assembly 400 configured for forming a trench having multiple layers (illustrated by FIG. 8), each with different contours/shapes/dimensions and/or with different construction materials.

The forming member 410 is substantially similar to the forming member 310 described previously. As such, the forming member 410 comprises a body member 410 a extending between a first end 412 a and an opposite second end 412 b, defining a length L4 therebetween along an axis X-X. In some embodiments, the faces of the body member 410 a at the first end 412 a and the second end 412 b are spaced apart along and substantially perpendicular (+/−0.1° to 5°, 1° to 5°, 5° to 400, 5° to 15° and/or the like) to the axis X-X. Moreover, the body member 410 a comprises a proximal side 414 a and an opposite distal side 414 c defining a depth D4 therebetween. The body member 410 a comprises a first lateral side 414 b and an opposite second lateral side 414 d, defining a width W4 therebetween, as illustrated by FIG. 4. The proximal side 414 a, the first lateral side 414 b, the distal side 414 c and the second lateral side 414 d together form a lateral contour of the body member 410 a having a cross-section 412 c. The cross-section 412 c may be constant along the length L4, or it may vary along the length L4. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the cross-section 412 c of the body member 410 a comprises a rectangular shape, similar to that described with respect to forming member 310. Moreover, the depth D4 may be constant along the length L4 and the width W4, while the width W4 may also be constant along the length L4 and the depth D4, thereby forming a cuboidal shaped body member 410 a with a rectangular cross-section 412 c. Moreover, as illustrated by FIG. 4, the dimension of length L4 may comprise the same order of magnitude as that of the depth D2 and the width W2. In one instance, the width W4 and the depth D4 may be equal, rendering a square cross-section 412 c. Here, in some instances, the length L4 may be the same as the width W4, which in turn may be the same as the depth D4, thereby rendering a cubic shape to the body member 410 a.

The forming member 410 provides for dual-pour functionality for forming a trench having multiple layers, each with different contours/shapes/dimensions and/or with different construction materials. Here, the body member 410 a is structured to form a first layer 6(i) of a trench 6 with a rectangular cross-section having a constant depth function “Di”, and constant width function “Wi”, such that the depth Di is substantially equal to or about the same as the depth D4, and the width Wi is substantially equal to or about the same as the width D4 (accounting for inevitable tolerances, allowances and other practical considerations) (illustrated by FIG. 8). The length L4 of the trench may be about the same as or greater than the length L4 of the body member 410 a. In the instances where the length Lt of the trench is desired to be greater than the length L4 of the body member 410 a, multiple forming members 410/body members 410 a may be utilized end-to-end to form the trench. In some embodiments, the body member 410 a is made from expanded polystyrene (EPS), or any of the materials listed with respect to body member 110 a.

For facilitating the dual-pour functionality for forming a trench having multiple layers, each with different contours/shapes/dimensions and/or with different construction materials, the body member 410 a comprises a hollow cavity “H”. The hollow cavity “H” may be suitably positioned within the forming member 410. Typically the hollow cavity H comprises an open face or opening at the proximal side 414 a, as illustrated by FIG. 4. Moreover the hollow cavity H may comprise other open faces or openings at the proximal side 414 a, the first end 412 a and/or the second end 412 b, as illustrated by FIG. 4. In other words, the hollow cavity H may extend from the proximal side 414 a into the body member 410 a to a depth “dH” and further extend from the first end 412 a to the second end 412 b for a length L4. Moreover, the cavity H may comprise a width “wH” that may be variable with respect to the depth dH and/or the length L4 of the cavity H. Specifically, the width wH may be the greatest proximate the proximal side 414 a and gradually taper towards the distal side 414 c, thereby forming a generally triangular or “V” shaped cross section. Moreover, the depth dH of the cavity H may be lesser that the depth D4 of the body member 410 a, and the maximum width wH of the cavity (at the proximal side 414 a) may also be lesser than the width W4 of the body member 410 a. Typically, the cavity H may be shaped and dimensioned to obtain the desired contour and dimensions of the external surface of the trench (e.g., external surface 8 of trench 6 formed by the second layer 6(ii) illustrated in FIG. 8), with a volume of the cavity H ([area of cross section of cavity]×[L4], or approximately [0.5×max[dH]×max[wH]]×[L4]) corresponding to the volume V of the trench (e.g., illustrated in FIG. 8). Moreover, the cavity H may further comprise one or more coupling elements 411 (e.g., coupling elements 411 m, 411 n, etc.).

For further facilitating the dual-pour functionality for forming a trench having multiple layers, each with different contours/shapes/dimensions and/or with different construction materials, forming member 410 further comprises a layer construction component 415. As illustrated by FIG. 4, the layer construction component 415 is shaped and dimensioned to be inserted into and/or coupled with the hollow cavity H of the body member 410 a. In this regard, the layer construction component 415 may be inserted into and/or withdrawn from the cavity H of the body member 410 a via an opening or open face of the cavity H, such as any of the openings at the proximal side 414 a, the first end 412 a and/or the second end 412 b. In some embodiments, the layer construction component 415 comprises a substantially same contour and dimensions as that of the cavity H so as to form a snug fit (e.g., an interference fit) therebetween, e.g., as illustrated by FIG. 4. That said, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the layer construction component 415 is contoured and dimensioned to form a clearance fit with the cavity H, i.e., with a void or clearance therebetween. As illustrated by FIG. 4, similar to the cavity H, the layer construction component 415 may be structured to extend generally from the proximal side 414 a into the body member 410 a to about a depth “dH” and further extend from the first end 412 a to the second end 412 b for around a length L4, when assembled/coupled with the body member 410 a. Moreover, the layer construction component 415 may comprise the width “wH” that may be variable with respect to the depth dH and/or the length L4. Specifically, the width wH may be the greatest proximate the proximal side 414 a and gradually taper towards the distal side 414 c, thereby forming a generally triangular or “V” shaped cross section. Moreover, the depth dH of the layer construction component 415 may be lesser that the depth D4 of the body member 410 a, and the maximum width wH of the layer construction component 415 (at the proximal side 414 a) may also be lesser than the width W4 of the body member 410 a. The surfaces of the layer construction component 415 may be flush with, protrude beyond or terminate before (forming a depression) adjacent surfaces of the body member 410 a when assembled therewith. Typically, the layer construction component 415 may be shaped and dimensioned to obtain the desired contour and dimensions of the external surface of the trench (e.g., external surface 8 of trench 6 formed by the second layer 6(ii) illustrated in FIG. 8), with a volume of the layer construction component 415 ([area of cross section]×[L4], or approximately [0.5×max[dH]×max[wH]]×[L4]) corresponding to the volume V of the trench (e.g., illustrated in FIG. 8). As such the layer construction component 415 may generally comprise a triangular wedge shape. That said, the cavity H and the corresponding layer construction component 415 may comprise any suitable shape, such as curvilinear, cuboidal, polygonal, curved, cylindrical, conical, tapered, trapezoidal prism, and/or sections of and/or combinations of the foregoing.

Moreover, the layer construction component 415 may further comprise one or more coupling elements 415 m, 415 n, etc., that are structured to be coupled with and are complementary to the corresponding one or more coupling elements 411 m, 411 n, etc., of the cavity H. As such these coupling elements allow for releasable coupling/assembling the layer construction component 415 with the body member 410 a.

Here, the layer construction component 415 is structured to form a second layer 6(ii) of a trench 6 with a “V” shaped cross-section having a variable depth function “Dt”, and variable width function “Wt”, such that the variable depth function Dt is substantially equal to or about the same as the variable depth dH, and the variable width function Wt is substantially equal to or about the same as the variable width function wH (accounting for inevitable tolerances, allowances and other practical considerations) (illustrated by FIG. 8). The length L4 of the trench may be about the same as or greater than the length L4 of the body member 410 a. In some embodiments, the layer construction component 415 is made from expanded polystyrene (EPS), or any of the materials listed with respect to body member 110 a.

Although one layer construction component 415 is described, it is understood that multiple layer construction components may be employed in a similar manner to obtain mode layers in the trench.

In some embodiments, the forming member 410 further comprises a plurality of support members 420 that is structured for coupling or assembling the forming member 410 with the retention and removal system 430. The plurality of support members 420 are substantially similar to support members 120-320 described previously, and particularly similar to the support members 320, except that the support members 420 are embedded within the body member 410 a at a depth “E” from the proximal side 414 a (not flush).

In some embodiments, the forming member 410, i.e., the shape and structure of the body member 410 a, and the shape, structure and positioned of the body member 410 a, is structured such that, when suspended within a trough/ditch 2 (as illustrated by FIG. 6) having a fluid (concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2), the center of gravity of the forming member 410 is located below or coincident with a center of buoyancy of the suspended forming member 410, thereby imparting rotational stability to the suspended forming member 410 within the fluid until the fluid hardens into a solid, as described previously with respect to forming members 110 and 210.

The retention and removal system 430, also referred to as a “trench forming support and anchoring assembly”, is substantially similar to the retention and removal systems 130, 230, 330 described previously. The retention and removal system 430 may comprise a base member 447 structured to be coupled to the body member 410 a at the proximal side 414 a. The base member 447 may comprise a planar structure that extends throughout the proximal side 414 a. The retention and removal system 430 may further comprise a plurality of first support members 440 and one or more second support members (not illustrated) (similar to second support member 150). Each of the first support members 440 is substantially similar to the first support members 140-240 described previously, also referred to as a positioning and securing component 440 is structured for (i) suspending the forming member 410 within a trough/ditch 2 (similar to the manner illustrated at FIG. 6) and holding the position and preventing rotation throughout the trench forming process, (ii) securing/assembling the forming member 410 with the retention and removal system 430, and (iii) weighting the forming member 410 within the trough/ditch 2 to counter buoyancy and subsequent displacement of the forming member 410 (especially within concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2), and (iv) facilitating removal of the forming member 410 from the trough/ditch 2 once the construction material typically in the form of fluid/slurry (e.g., concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2) has hardened or set.

As illustrated by FIG. 4, the first support member 440 comprises a plurality of transverse support members (448, 449) that are substantially similar to the transverse support members (348, 349) described previously, which also comprise an elongate structure, configured to extend traverse to and overhang over the lateral sides of the forming member 410, to provide further enhanced support and stability. As such, the elongate transverse support members (448, 449) extend along a length that is greater than the width W4 of the body member 410 a. The extensions/overhang portions/shoulders of the respective transverse support members (448, 449) are also structured to rest on a top surface 4 a of the ground 4 forming the trough/ditch 2, thereby suspending the forming member 210 within the trough/ditch 2 (illustrated in FIG. 6), similar to the transverse support members (348, 349) described previously. Again, the downwards weight W of the first support member 440 is structured to be greater than or equal to the force of buoyancy Fb, and hence counteracts the force of buoyancy Fb of the fluid poured into the trough/ditch 2 (concrete or other cementitious material/slurry), thereby preventing the forming member 410 from being displaced by the fluid due to the force of buoyancy. The downwards weight W renders the center of gravity of the forming member 410 to be located below or coincident with a center of buoyancy of the suspended forming member 410, thereby preventing rotation of the suspended forming member 410 within the fluid of the trough/ditch 2. Moreover, the plurality of transverse support members (448, 449) prevent tilting and other linear or rotational displacement of the forming member 410 within the trough/ditch 2 (as illustrated by FIG. 6).

Moreover, the transverse support members (448, 449) may comprise coupling components for operatively coupling the transverse support members (448, 449) (i) with the forming member 410 via the base member 447, and (ii) with a second support member, similar to coupling components 144-244, 146 a-246 a, and 146 b-246 b described previously. The retention and removal system 430 may comprise one or more second support members (not illustrated) similar to second support members 150-250 described previously, e.g., having one or more anchoring support components 152 and/or one or more lateral support components (262 a, 262 b) described previously.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a trench former assembly 500 (also referred to as a trench form mounting device 500), in accordance a fifth embodiment of the invention. As illustrated, the trench former assembly 500 typically comprises a forming member 510 and a corresponding retention and removal system 530. The structure and functions of the trench former assembly 500 are substantially similar to that of the trench former assemblies 100-300, and the trench former assemblies 100 and 400 in particular, with like numbers referring to like elements. In particular, similar to the trench former assembly 400, the trench former assembly 500 is also a dual-pour type trench former assembly 500 configured for forming a trench having multiple layers (illustrated by FIG. 8), each with different contours/shapes/dimensions and/or with different construction materials.

The forming member 510 is substantially similar to the forming member 110 described previously. However, similar to the forming member 410, the forming member 510 also provides for dual-pour functionality for forming a trench having multiple layers, each with different contours/shapes/dimensions and/or with different construction materials. As such, the forming member 510 comprises a body member 510 a extending between a first end 512 a and an opposite second end 512 b, defining a length L5 therebetween along an axis X-X. In some embodiments, the faces of the body member 510 a at the first end 512 a and the second end 512 b are spaced apart along and substantially perpendicular (+/−0.1° to 5°, 1° to 5°, 5° to 500, 5° to 15° and/or the like) to the axis X-X. Moreover, the body member 510 a comprises a proximal side 514 a and an opposite distal side 514 c defining a depth D5 therebetween. The body member 510 a comprises a first lateral side 514 b and an opposite second lateral side 514 d, defining a width W5 therebetween, as illustrated by FIG. 5. The proximal side 514 a, the first lateral side 514 b, the distal side 514 c and the second lateral side 514 d together form a lateral contour of the body member 510 a having a cross-section 512 c. The cross-section 512 c may be constant along the length L5, or it may vary along the length L5. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the cross-section 512 c of the body member 510 a comprises a “U” shape, similar to the body member 110 a described previously. The body member 510 a and the cross-section 512 c is typically structured, shaped and dimensioned to correspond with the desired contour and dimension of a first layer 6(iii) of a trench 6 (illustrated by FIG. 8 in dashed lines). In some embodiments, the body member 510 a is made from expanded polystyrene (EPS), or any of the materials listed with respect to body member 110 a.

For facilitating the dual-pour functionality for forming a trench having multiple layers, each with different contours/shapes/dimensions and/or with different construction materials, the body member 510 a comprises a “V” shaped hollow cavity and a corresponding a layer construction component 515 similar to the layer construction component 415 described previously. As illustrated by FIG. 5, the layer construction component 515 is shaped and dimensioned to be inserted into and/or coupled with the hollow cavity of the body member 510 a. Typically, the layer construction component 515 may be shaped and dimensioned to obtain the desired contour and dimensions of the external surface of the trench (e.g., external surface 8 of trench 6 formed by the second layer 6(ii) illustrated in FIG. 8), with a volume of the layer construction component 415 ([area of cross section]×[LS]) corresponding to the volume V of the trench (e.g., illustrated in FIG. 8). As such the layer construction component 515 may generally comprise a triangular wedge shape. That said, the cavity H and the corresponding layer construction component 515 may comprise any suitable shape, such as curvilinear, cuboidal, polygonal, curved, cylindrical, conical, tapered, trapezoidal prism, and/or sections of and/or combinations of the foregoing.

Here, the layer construction component 515 is structured to form a second layer 6(ii) of a trench 6 with a “V” shaped cross-section having a variable depth function “Dt”, and variable width function “Wt” (illustrated by FIG. 8). The length L5 of the trench may be about the same as or greater than the length L5 of the body member 510 a. The dimension of length L5 may be greater than that of the depth D5 and the width W5 (by an order of magnitude factor of 1, 2, 3, . . . 10, . . . , 1.1 to 5, 1.1 to 3.9, 1 to 6, 1 to 10, 3 to 10, 5 to 12, 10-20, . . . , or the like).

In some embodiments, the forming member 510 further comprises a planar support member 520 that is structured for coupling or assembling the forming member 510 with the retention and removal system 530. The support member 520 is substantially similar to support members 120-320 described previously, except that the support member 520 is planar, and abuts (contacts) the body member 510 a at proximal side 514 a.

In some embodiments, the forming member 510, i.e., the shape and structure of the body member 510 a, and the shape, structure and positioned of the body member 510 a, is structured such that, when suspended within a trough/ditch 2 (as illustrated by FIG. 6) having a fluid (concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2), the center of gravity of the forming member 510 is located below or coincident with a center of buoyancy of the suspended forming member 510, thereby imparting rotational stability to the suspended forming member 510 within the fluid until the fluid hardens into a solid, as described previously with respect to forming members 110 and 210.

The retention and removal system 530, also referred to as a “trench forming support and anchoring assembly”, is substantially similar to the retention and removal systems 130, 230, 330, 430 described previously. The retention and removal system 530 may comprise a one or more first support members 540 and one or more second support members (not illustrated) (similar to second support member 150). The first support member 540 is substantially similar to the first support members 140-240 described previously, also referred to as a positioning and securing component 540 is structured for (i) suspending the forming member 510 within a trough/ditch 2 (similar to the manner illustrated at FIG. 6) and holding the position and preventing rotation throughout the trench forming process, (ii) securing/assembling the forming member 510 with the retention and removal system 530, and (iii) weighting the forming member 510 within the trough/ditch 2 to counter buoyancy and subsequent displacement of the forming member 510 (especially within concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2), and (iv) facilitating removal of the forming member 510 from the trough/ditch 2 once the construction material typically in the form of fluid/slurry (e.g., concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2) has hardened or set.

As illustrated by FIG. 5, the first support member 540 comprises a one or more transverse support members 548 that are substantially similar to the transverse support members (348, 349, 548, 549) described previously, which also comprise an elongate structure, configured to extend traverse to and overhang over the lateral sides of the forming member 510, to provide further enhanced support and stability. As such, the elongate transverse support member 548 extends along a length that is greater than the width W5 of the body member 510 a. The extensions/overhang portions/shoulders of the transverse support member 548 are also structured to rest on a top surface 4 a of the ground 4 forming the trough/ditch 2, thereby suspending the forming member 210 within the trough/ditch 2 (illustrated in FIG. 6), similar to the transverse support members (348, 349) described previously. Again, the downwards weight W of the first support member 540 is structured to be greater than or equal to the force of buoyancy Fb, and hence counteracts the force of buoyancy Fb of the fluid poured into the trough/ditch 2 (concrete or other cementitious material/slurry), thereby preventing the forming member 510 from being displaced by the fluid due to the force of buoyancy. The downwards weight W renders the center of gravity of the forming member 510 to be located below or coincident with a center of buoyancy of the suspended forming member 510, thereby preventing rotation of the suspended forming member 510 within the fluid of the trough/ditch 2. Moreover, the transverse support member 548 prevents tilting and other linear or rotational displacement of the forming member 510 within the trough/ditch 2 (as illustrated by FIG. 6).

Moreover, the transverse support member 548, 549 may comprise coupling components for operatively coupling the transverse support members 548 (i) with the forming member 510 via the planar support member 520, and (ii) with a second support member, similar to coupling components 144-244, 146 a-246 a, and 146 b-246 b described previously. The retention and removal system 530 may comprise one or more second support members (not illustrated) similar to second support members 150-250 described previously, e.g., having one or more anchoring support components 152 and/or one or more lateral support components (262 a, 262 b) described previously.

The method of use of the trench former assemblies 100-500 will now be described with respect to FIGS. 6-8. Specifically, FIG. 6 depicts a cut-away perspective view 60 of a method of use of a trench former assembly of the present invention for fabrication of a trench. FIG. 7 depicts a cut-away perspective view 70 of a trench fabricated using a trench former assembly of the present invention. FIG. 8 depicts a cut-away perspective view 80 of a multi-layer trench fabricated using a dual-pour trench former assembly of the present invention.

The method of forming a trench using the trench former assembly 100 typically involves an initial step of forming (e.g., by excavating) a trough or a ditch 2. This trough/ditch 2 is typically excavated/dug in the ground 4 at a location where the trench is desired to be formed. As illustrated, the trough/ditch 2 extends from a top surface 4 a of the ground 4 into the ground 4 to a depth Dd. That said, it is also contemplated that in other embodiments, the trough/ditch may be formed in a mold or die, in which case element 4 may refer to the mold or die. Typically, the trough/ditch is in the form of an elongate cavity “Cd” along an axis/line X-X. Although, axis/line X-X is illustrated as a straight line, it is understood that the axis/line X-X may instead be curvilinear, curved, arched or bent, at least in part. The elongate cavity Cd of the trough/ditch 2 is typically open-faced, i.e., having an open side, for allowing insertion and removal of the former assembly 100 therethrough, e.g., with the remaining sides surrounded by the ground 4. Moreover, the trough/ditch 2, i.e., the cavity Cd, may define a length “Ld”, a depth “Dd,” and width “Wd,” as shown in FIG. 1B. Moreover, in some embodiments, the depth Dd may be constant across the length Ld and the width Wd, while in other embodiments, the depth Dd may vary across the length Ld and/or the width Wd such that the depth Dd may be represented as a function Dd (Ld, Wd) of the length and the width. Similarly, in some embodiments, the width Wd may be constant across the length Ld and the depth Dd, while in other embodiments, the width Wd may vary across the length Ld and/or the depth Dd such that the width Wd may be represented as a function Wd (Ld, Dd) of the length and the depth. Moreover, in typical embodiments, the dimension of length Ld is greater than that of the depth Dd and the width Wd (by an order of magnitude factor of 1, 2, 3, . . . 10, . . . , 1.1 to 5, 1.1 to 3.9, 1 to 6, 1 to 10, 3 to 10, 5 to 12, 10-20, . . . , or the like). Moreover, a cross-section (e.g., dimensioned by the width function and the depth function) of the elongate cavity Cd of the trough/ditch may comprise a rectangle shape, another polygonal shape, a curvilinear shape, an elliptical shape, a parabolic shape, and/or the like, and/or a suitable combination of the foregoing.

The next steps of forming the trench will be described with respect to the trench former assembly 100, as illustrated by FIG. 6. However, it is understood that these steps are applicable to and compatible with all of the trench former assemblies 100-500. The components of the trench former assembly 100 (or any of 200-500) are assembled, e.g., on site. Here, the support member(s) 120 may be assembled with body member 110 a to form the forming member 110. It is noted that, in the instances where the trench former assembly is of a dual-pour type, i.e., trench former assemblies 400-500, the layer construction components (415, 515), the body members (410 a, 510 a) and the support member(s) (420, 520) may be assembled together to construct the forming member (410, 510), respectively. Next, referring to FIG. 6, the retention and removal system 130 is assembled with the forming member 110. Here, the components of the first support member 140 and any transverse support member, lateral support components, base members, etc., are assembled together. Next, first support member 140 is assembled with the forming member 110. The second support member 150 is the assembled to the assembly of the first support member 140 and the forming member 110, thereby forming the trench former assembly 100.

The trench former assembly 100 (or any of 200-500) is then positioned within the elongate cavity Cd of the trough/ditch 2. In some embodiments, the first end 112 a and the second end 112 b are structured to be positioned transversely (or at another non-zero angle) in a trough/ditch 2, e.g., such that the faces of the body member 110 a at the first end 112 a and the second end 112 b are spaced apart along and substantially perpendicular (+/−1° to 5°, 5° to 10°, 5° to 15° and/or the like) to the axis X-X of the trough/ditch 2. Here, trench former assembly 100 is positioned such that the extensions/overhang portions/shoulders (142 a, 142 b) of the first support member 140 are structured to rest on a top surface 4 a of the ground 4 forming the trough/ditch 2 (as illustrated by FIG. 6), thereby suspending the forming member 110 within the trough/ditch 2. Moreover, the second support member 150 may rest on the base of the elongate cavity Cd of the trough/ditch 2, or the second support member 150 may also me suspended. In this manner a void or chamber Ct is formed between the elongate cavity Cd of the trough/ditch 2 and the outer surfaces of the trench former assembly 100, and particularly the forming member 110.

Next, a construction material 6 a, typically in the form of fluid/slurry (concrete or other cementitious material/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2), is poured into the void or chamber Ct. The construction material 6 a flows into and takes the shape of the chamber Ct. As discussed previously, the construction material 6 a or construction material fluid 6 a as used herein typically refers to a desired material that is utilized to form the trench Construction material 6 a or construction material fluid 6 a may comprise fluids (e.g., fluid cement), composites (e.g., concrete, asphalt concrete, other cementitious material, etc.), aggregates (e.g., gravel, stone fragments, foam, metals, plastics, etc.), polymers (e.g., polymer concretes), binders (e.g., lime, bitumen, polymers, etc.), additives, nanomaterials, and/or a suitable combination of the foregoing. In some embodiments, the construction material may comprise a viscous slurry (e.g., freshly mixed concrete). In some embodiments, the construction material may comprise a specific gravity in the range of 2-3.5, 2.2-3.15, 1-4, 2-5, 2.5-4.7, 2-7, 2.5-8, 3-9,. 3.5-9.5, 3.5-12, and/or the like. Typically, the term “fluid” as used herein is used to convey that, at the time of pouring or transferring into the trough/ditch 2, the construction material 6 a behaves like a fluid in that (i) it can be poured/decanted/transferred into the trough/ditch 2 and (ii) it has the ability to flow into and/or deform to take on the shape of a chamber Ct created between the trench former assembly 100 (particularly the forming member 110) and the trough/ditch 2 (as illustrated by FIGS. 6-7).

After pouring into the trough/ditch 2, the construction material 6 a is allowed to cure/harden/set in the shape of the chamber Ct created between the trench former assembly 100 (particularly the forming member 110) and the trough/ditch 2 to form the trench 6.

As described previously, the extensions/overhang portions/shoulders (142 a, 142 b) of the first support member 140 are supported with a load Fg when resting against the top surfaces 4 a of the ground 4, rendering a downwards weight W (e.g., equal to about 2×Fg). The stabilization factors of the arrangement are twofold. First, the downwards weight W is greater than or equal to the force of buoyancy Fb, and hence counteracts the force of buoyancy Fb of the construction material typically in the form of fluid/slurry poured into the trough/ditch 2 (concrete or other cementitious material/slurry), thereby preventing the forming member 110 from being displaced by the construction material fluid due to the force of buoyancy. Second, the downwards weight W renders the center of gravity of the forming member 110 to be located below or coincident with a center of buoyancy of the suspended forming member 110, thereby preventing rotation of the suspended forming member 110 within the construction material fluid of the trough/ditch 2. Moreover, the first support member 140 prevents tilting and other linear or rotational displacement of the forming member 110 within the trough/ditch 2 (as illustrated by FIG. 6). Moreover, the gap between the second support member 150 (particularly the anchoring support component 152 described previously) and the adjacent portion of the forming member 110 facilitates flow of the construction material typically in the form of fluid/slurry (e.g., concrete or other cementitious material/slurry) therebetween and allows for the second support member 150 (particularly the anchoring support component 152 described previously) to be embedded and enmeshed therein as the construction material fluid hardens, thereby anchoring, stabilizing and supporting the forming member 110 forming member within the trough/ditch 2 having the construction material fluid (e.g., concrete or other cementitious material/slurry). Moreover, the second support member 150 is structured to provide an additional downwards force Fa component to the weight component W of the retention and removal system 130, due the weight of the construction material (e.g., concrete or other cementitious material/slurry) in the gap between the second support member 150 and the adjacent portion of the forming member 110, which exerts a downward force “Fa” on the second support member 150. Here, it is understood that the weight W may be equal to about (2×F+Fa).

After determining that the construction material 6 a has set, and/or after a predetermined period of time, the trench former assembly 100 is removed. Here, initially, the retention and removal system 130 is disassembled from the forming member 110. Here, the components of the first support member 140 and any transverse support member, lateral support components, base members, etc., are disassembled and removed. Next, the forming member 110 is removed from the trough/ditch 2. All of these foregoing components can be reused to form additional trenches. The second support member 150 may either be removed in some instances. Alternatively, second support member 150 may be embedded into the hardened construction material 6 a and may be left therein as a reinforcement, as indicated by element 150′ of FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 illustrates the finished trench 6 having an external surface 8 defining a trench volume V, width Wt, length Lt, and depth Dt, formed using the method described previously. In some embodiments, the resulting trench 6 is structured to withstand tensile loads of, i.e., comprises an average tensile strength of about 14 MPa (2,000 psi), 14 MPa (2,000 psi) to 20 MPa (2,900 psi), MPa (2,900 psi) to 32 MPa (4,600 psi), 32 MPa (4,600 psi) to 40 MPa (5,800 psi), 40 MPa (5,800 psi) to 80 MPa (11,600 psi), and/or the like. Moreover, because the trench 6 is structured to be fabricated on site in the trough/ditch 2, the trench former assembly 100 of present invention obviates the need for transporting prefabricated extremely heavy, unwieldy and cumbersome, concrete or metal trenches to the site for installation, while still fabricating a trench having high tensile strength. Moreover, because the trench 6 can be fabricated on site using the trench former assembly 100, which is infinitely flexible and customizable, the trench 6 can be easily tailored to the requirements on site without requiring time intensive and expensive transport of heavy prefabricated trenches, which may not even meet the desired requirements of the trench. Moreover, the components of the trench former assembly of the present invention may be interchangeably assembled to obtain multiple configurations and suit multiple technical specifications. Moreover, the components of the trench former assembly of the present invention may be reused to form multiple trenches.

The method of forming a dual-pour type trench, i.e., using trench former assemblies 400-500 will now be described, with respect to FIG. 8. The initial steps of the forming a dual-pour type trench are substantially similar to the foregoing steps for forming a single layer trench described above. Using the previous steps, as first layer 6(i) of the trench 6 is formed.

Next, the layer construction components (415, 515) are disassembled from the body members (410 a, 510 a). Next, the retention and removal system (430, 530) is assembled with the layer construction components (415, 515), respectively. Here, the components of the first support member (440, 540) and any transverse support member, lateral support components, base members, etc., are assembled together. Next, the first support member (440, 540) is assembled with the layer construction component (415, 515), respectively.

The assembly of the layer construction component (415, 515) and the corresponding first support member (440, 540) is then positioned within the cavity of the first layer 6(i) of the trench 6, in a similar manner as described above. Here, similarly, the extensions/overhang portions/shoulders of the first support member (440, 540) are structured to rest on the top surface 4 a of the ground 4 forming the trough/ditch 2, thereby suspending the layer construction component (415, 515) within the cavity of the first layer 6(i). In this manner a void or chamber is formed between the cavity of the first layer 6(i) and the outer surfaces of the layer construction component (415, 515).

Next, a construction material 6 b, typically in the form of fluid/slurry (concrete or other cementitious material/slurry), is poured into the void or chamber. The construction material 6 b flows into and takes the shape of the chamber formed between the cavity of the first layer 6(i) and the outer surfaces of the layer construction component (415, 515). The construction material 6 b may be the same as or different from the construction material 6 a. As described previously, the extensions/overhang portions/shoulders of the first support member (440, 540) support the layer construction component (415, 515) by counteracting the buoyancy and preventing any rotation, tilting or displacement in a manner similar to that described previously.

Next, the construction material 6 b is allowed to cure/harden/set in the shape of the chamber formed between the cavity of the first layer 6(i) and the outer surfaces of the layer construction component (415, 515) to form the second layer 6(ii) of the trench 6, as illustrated by FIG. 8.

This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present disclosure. The following claims are in no way intended to limit the scope of the disclosure to the specific embodiments described herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A trench drain forming system, comprising: a forming member structured for forming a body of a trench; and a retention and removal apparatus structured to be removably coupled to the forming member, wherein the retention and removal apparatus is structured for supporting the forming member.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the forming member is structured to be positioned within a trough to form a void chamber therebetween, such that a construction material is provided in the void chamber.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the retention and removal apparatus is structured to suspend the forming member within a cavity of the trough.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the retention and removal apparatus is structured to prevent displacement and/or rotation of the suspended forming member within the cavity of the trough due to the construction material.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the forming member comprises a body member, wherein the body member is structured such that an outer surface of the body member is configured to form a first layer of the trench.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the forming member comprises a layer construction component, wherein the layer construction component is structured such that an outer surface of the layer construction component is configured to form a second layer of the trench, wherein the second layer of the trench is positioned over the first layer of the trench.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the layer construction component is structured to be coupled with the body member such that layer construction component is received within a cavity of the body member.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the retention and removal apparatus comprises a first support member having an elongate body, wherein the first support member is removably coupled to the forming member such that the elongate body is transverse to a length of the forming member and parallel to a width of the forming member.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein a length of the elongate body of the first support member is greater than the width of the forming member such that end portions of the elongate body overhang from the forming member.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the end portions of the elongate body of the first support member that overhang from the forming member are structured to (i) rest on upper surfaces of a trough and (ii) suspend the forming member within a cavity of the trough.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the retention and removal apparatus comprises an anchoring support component structured to anchor and support the forming member within construction material provided in a trough, for forming the trench.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the forming member and the retention and removal apparatus is reusable.
 13. A trench drain forming system, comprising: a forming member; and a retention and removal apparatus.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the trench drain forming system further comprises construction material for forming the trench.
 15. A method for forming a trench, comprising: providing a forming member and a retention and removal apparatus; removably assembling the forming member and the retention and removal apparatus; forming a trough in a ground site, wherein the trough comprises a cavity; positioning the assembly of the forming member and the retention and removal apparatus in the trough such that the forming member is suspended within the cavity, wherein the suspended forming member is structured to form a void chamber between the forming member and the cavity of the trough; providing construction material into the void chamber; curing the construction material in the void chamber to form the trench; and removing the forming member from the trough via the retention and removal apparatus.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the construction material is concrete.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the retention and removal apparatus comprises a first support member, wherein end portions of the first support member overhang from the forming member such that the end portions (i) rest on upper surfaces of a trough and (ii) suspend the forming member within the cavity of the trough.
 18. The method of claim 15 further comprising forming a multi-layer trench, wherein the forming member comprises a layer construction component, wherein curing the construction material in the void chamber is structured to form a first layer of the trench, the method further comprising: disassembling the forming member and the retention and removal apparatus; disassembling the layer construction component from the forming member; removably assembling the layer construction component and the retention and removal apparatus; positioning the assembly of the layer construction component and the retention and removal apparatus in a cavity of the first layer of the trench such that the layer construction component is suspended within the cavity of the first layer of the trench; providing construction material between the first layer of the trench and the layer construction component; curing the construction material between the first layer of the trench and the layer construction component to form a second layer of the trench; and removing the layer construction component from the trough via the retention and removal apparatus. 